Relic of the Past
by BlackCavern
Summary: It has been nearly five years since the war had ended. Robin now finds himself doubting his purpose now that there was no skill he could offer that could not be filled in by someone else. Those around him were moving on their lives for better or for worse and he fears that he is being left behind. (Follows the aftermath of "A Mark of Unknown Origin")


There was no gradual build, no crescendo of realization. It just sort of hit him on one sunny autumn day. He hadn't really even been paying attention to the people around him, he had been spacing out, lulled into a relaxed state by the cool air. Maybe it was the ball that came hurtling across the grass and smacked into his ankle that brought the epiphany down on him.

"Sorry, Robin! Can you throw that over here?" called a messy haired boy from across the courtyard.

So Robin knelt down, scooped up the ball, and tossed it back at the child when it finally hit him. He didn't know that child, he'd seen the boy before once or twice playing with other children, but he didn't know who that child belonged to. There were too many children around the palace these days, he couldn't even tell if they were children who were the alternate timeline versions of those who helped fight in the war, or new ones. It was actually astounding how large the royal family had grown, both through marriage and the addition of the alternate timeline children. Maybe that's why, even after many of their former comrades dispersed to start their own lives, Robin still found himself tripping over people left and right.

He must have been staring for quite some time because Robin suddenly found a hand snapping its fingers in front of his face.

"Hello? Earth to Robin? Woohoo!" Lissa waved her hands back and forth, "You in there?"

"Sorry." Robin shook his head, "Did you need something?"

"I'm fine, you're the one whose been staring off into nothing." she huffed, planting her hands akimbo though her annoyed expression quickly softened, "You okay? You've been sitting out here for hours, are the kids bothering you?"

"No, not at all." Robin smiled a little, "It's just..."

He paused, though he knew exactly what was irking him. Just yesterday Robin had run into Gregor who had stopped by to say goodbye. The rough and tumble mercenary had always had a surprisingly sophisticated soul but it had none the less shocked Robin when he admitted that he was quitting the life by the sword and settling down in the Ylissian countryside as a farmer. He had made some joke about how he couldn't keep up with the younger men and complimented Robin on failing to age. He had froze for a moment that time too, it was like something in his stomach had dropped. After bidding Gregor goodbye and good luck, Robin had felt thoroughly uncomfortable. It's only been about five years since the war had ended but everything was changing. The members of the rag tag army that had saved the world had soon broken apart. Those who were unable to live a quiet life like Lon'qu had gone off on their adventures while others settled down to a quiet and uneventful life.

But this was what they had all fought for, wasn't it? Didn't Robin hang on for dear life against an onslaught of darkness so that his friends could live peacefully? It turned out that the first year of peace-despite it being filled with political turmoil and frantic rebuilding-had been his most comfortable. Maybe it was simply that he didn't have time to think about his own troubles, allowing himself to fall into a routine of paperwork.

"Robin!" Lissa exclaimed, "Focus!"

"I'm sorry Lissa, I'm just kind of tired, I think I'll go take a nap." Robin internally flinched at the weakness of his excuse but there was no way to articulate his issue without sounding blood hungry.

He quickly headed down to his quarters as Lissa mumbled something about how sitting around daydreaming didn't drain energy. He couldn't deny it, he didn't know what to do. It was as simple as that. What place did he have in this world when nobody needed him? He could imagine what Chrom would say, about how he needed Robin's support and advice. But he didn't, despite all the barely contained boredom and anger at being pent up indoors, Chrom had turned out to be quite the efficient Exalt. Emotional support, that's essentially what Robin was good for now, head of assuring that everything will be taken care of. He could feel a self created mental poison filling him whenever he thought back to the days of the war against Plegia.

He did not want war, he did not want conflict, he did not want to have to use his magic or his sword or his military books.

Many people would be happy to be able to sit around with friends with nothing to do except the mechanical hum drum of everyday chores. But nobody needed him, there was nothing left that he could do that nobody else could fill in. It was such a selfish thought but Robin had motivated himself with the idea that he was crucial in rebuilding Ylisse, that he could not fail without severe consequences, surely everyone did.

It really had been fine for a while. He had taken Morgan under his wing for a time before she decided to go traveling to record the recovering world. He had been very reluctant to allow her to leave on her own and had managed to convince her to wait until the bandit problem had begun to recede, but eventually, he had given his approval. Robin had suffered through a few days of depression when it hit him that he would not see her for some time, that had been the first hypocritical emotion. It had become an accepted theory that Morgan came from a different future than the other children but that did not help define their relationship which was constantly on a wobbly seesaw between father and daughter, mentor and student. He should have been proud of her, that someone he had taught was now able to protect herself and travel alone, but he had only felt sad.

The issue with Lucina was what had finally cued in him into his own mental state. They had danced around each other for ages, perhaps he had been genuinely attracted to her-well, after they had solved the whole red eyes issue-but neither of them had moved to make anything of it. She had gone through her own bout of discomfort when her younger self had become old enough to walk and talk. It must've been anything natural to see one's younger self acting as a separate entity. She had taken to becoming an escort to royal ambassadors though Robin couldn't tell whether she genuinely enjoyed her new line of work.

Everything had changed for the better but he didn't feel better.

Maybe it was natural for Robin, perhaps it was in a manakete's nature to hate change. He was so acutely aware of it after having five years to get accustomed to it, but when he concentrated, he could still feel the dark magic roiling within him. Miriel had offered to study him for a time as no one really knew if there were any consequences to keeping so much magic pent up inside. But as his limbs were still intact, Robin figured that he would be fine.

But some part of him that had grown too large to ignore wanted to use that magic. And why shouldn't he? No human mage possessed his powers, what was the point of him if he couldn't use any of his skills. It hadn't taken long after that mental council to come to the revelation that the world was moving past him, a stationary relic of a past life.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, I haven't written anything on this site in ages. Anyways, this takes place with the rules established in A Mark of Unknown Origin. I had always wondered what Robin would do with his time years after the war ended. After all, he didn't really get any domestic memories back so he can't just go back to blacksmithing or tailoring or something. And eventually, Chrom's going to become more politically savvy and the army's going to break up. And, in my universe I have already set up his quasi-immortality so...yeah... Maybe I'm just not a fan of perfect endings or something. Also, the unpaired Lucina ending kind of upset me as it made it sound like she felt she had no place in her parent's lives even after her and Chrom's support convos. Can't help but wonder if there's a self confidence hit or jealousy of watching your parents fawn over a younger family member that's not even a sibling but a clone of you.<strong>


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